


baby steps

by artsyleo



Series: comfortember 2020 [13]
Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Angst, Boys In Love, Canon Compliant, Comfort Food, Cute Ending, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Food, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27549118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsyleo/pseuds/artsyleo
Summary: comfortember prompt day 13 - bakingcallum's not taking care of himself properly, so ben brings in lexi to make him
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Series: comfortember 2020 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995826
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	baby steps

**Author's Note:**

> okay so-  
> tw for references to like not taking care of yourself/self worth issues because of what's happening in canon, and a small mention of callum not eating properly (not ed-related, just not taking proper care of himself, and cw for food   
> please take care of yourselves!!

“Ben? You in?” 

The minute Callum walks through the back door, he just sounds  _ exhausted _ . It’s hard not to notice, really. There’s a weight to his voice, and the sparkle that Ben used to see in his eyes isn’t there any more. He curls into himself like Ben remembers he used to, all those months ago before he came out, in a way that Ben’s not seen since then. He’d been getting better, more confident in himself ever since he came out and it breaks Ben’s heart to see him back there, where it looks like he’s trying to hide himself away. It’s been ever since Ben ended up in prison, since Callum had gotten him out. He’s got no doubt that it was Callum - there’s no way they’d give up a chance to get a  _ Mitchell _ in prison - but the longer this goes on, the more he’s convinced that it’s not happened how he thinks. But every time he tries to bring it up, they argue, and he  _ hates  _ it, almost as much as he hates seeing Callum looking so distraught. 

The other thing he’s noticed scares him almost even more- the way that he’s noticed Callum’s stopped taking care of himself. Almost every morning that he wakes up he does it alone, instead finding Callum downstairs or just a note in his place, saying that he’s been called in or that he’s out for a walk. He manages to miss breakfast with excuse after excuse most days, and he knows Callum doesn’t eat lunch. It scares him,  _ fuck _ , it scares him, because he feels so clueless, trying desperately to pull Callum away from something that he’s in the dark about. Ben loves the man more than anything, more than he ever thought he could, and he  _ can’t lose him _ . 

Ben sighs, and steps back into the kitchen. The minute Callum spots him he straightens up and his eyes widen, a smile forced onto his face. Ben sees through it straight away, doesn’t even have to try and maybe that’s a sign in itself. He doesn’t bring it up though, knows it’s an uphill struggle and an argument won’t get him anywhere. 

“Hey babe,” Callum says, and presses a kiss on his cheek. “I’m just gonna get changed then we can head out, date night yeah?” 

Ben sighs and catches Callum’s arm as he turns out of the room. “Wait, just- hold on a minute.” 

He turns back around and frowns at Ben. “Everything okay?” 

“We’re not going out tonight,” he says, stroking a thumb absent-mindedly across Callum’s arm, but he just frowns even more, eyebrows curling in.

“Why not? You not feeling up for it?” Callum replies, and in an instant his face changes to one of worry, and a hand comes up to Ben’s cheek. “You okay?” 

“No I’m not, alright?” Ben sighs. “You think I haven’t noticed, don’t you?” 

Callum’s eyes narrow. “What?” 

“You’re not yourself,” he says, and instantly Callum looks away. “You look tired, you’re not taking care of yourself- and I know you aren’t eating properly.” 

“Ben-” 

“So we’re staying in tonight, Lexi’s upstairs and we’re gonna spend the evening baking, and then we’re gonna eat whatever Lexi’s decided to bake in front of some god-awful Disney film,” Ben says, arm sweeping down to catch Callum’s hand and link their fingers together. “And then we’re gonna get an early night, no funny business.” 

“Why are you doing all of this?” Callum says, finally looking back up at him and Ben can see the look in his eyes now, confused like he thinks he doesn’t deserve this.

“Because I love you,” Ben says simply, and it’s the bare truth, the best thing he can say in the moment. “And you’re not okay, and I want to take care of you.”

Callum’s silent for a minute and he looks down, and for a minute he thinks he’s screwed this up until Callum looks back at him with tears in his eyes and a small, tentative smile on his face. 

“Fuck, I love you, Ben,” he says, leaning forward until their foreheads connect. “I’m sorry I’ve made you worry.” 

“Hey, don’t apologise. I just want you to be okay,” Ben replies, and Callum says nothing in response, just leans forward until their lips connect, finding safety in the embrace of one another. 

That’s until Lexi runs into the room with a loud, “Eww!” 

They pull away, still close, and let out a small laugh each. 

“Come on then, you two,” Ben says, finally pulling away and connecting his and Callum’s hands again. “Let’s make a mess.” 

“Yeah!” Lexi shouts excitedly, before pulling one of her recipe books off the shelf. 

“What are we making then, princess?” Ben says, finally, reluctantly, letting go of Callum’s hand to walk over to where Lexi’s stood, leaving his boyfriend watching the two of them from the doorway. 

“Fairy cakes! And I want to decorate them!” 

It’s not exactly a surprise, but Ben’s already imagining the state of the kitchen afterwards. 

-

“What are you gonna decorate yours with, Callum?” Lexi says, never taking her eyes off the cupcake in front of her, an icing bag in her small hands. 

“I’m makin’ this one for your dad,” he says, looking up to shoot a small, shy smile at Ben from across the room, and for the first time in a while Ben sees that little bit of sparkle again. 

Lexi leans over a minute later to look just as Callum finishes his cake. “That’s so cute!” 

“Thanks, Lex,” Callum laughs, then looks back up, and slides the cupcake across the table to Ben. He catches it, and when he looks at it there’s a heart drawn on the top in melted chocolate, and  _ C + B  _ written across the top in pink writing icing. It melts his heart and he’s blushing in seconds, because it’s so perfectly  _ Callum _ , and he loves it. When he looks up to catch Callum’s eyes again, he’s blushing too, all the way up to the tips of his ears, and he’s hiding a shy smile behind his hand. 

Lexi must lose interest when they’re staring at each other, because she turns back to her cupcake which gives Ben the chance to mouth the words  _ I love you  _ across the table to him. Callum laughs, looks down at the table, and looks up to smile at him a minute later. 

_ I love you too. _

-

By the time they’re done, the kitchen is, indeed, covered in flour, and the scent of chocolate and icing drifts through it. There’s spots of drying mixture over the wood of the kitchen table, and a pile of dishes in the sink that will probably stay there until the morning. 

There’s the sound of laughter accompanying it all though, drifting through the otherwise-empty house from the living room, where the three of them are cuddled close on one sofa, a half-plate of messily decorated cupcakes in front of them. There’s the end of  _ Hercules _ still playing on the TV - Callum had admitted once that it had always been a favourite of his and it’s now one of Lexi’s favourites too, strangely enough - and Lexi’s quiet voice singing along to one of the songs. Ben’s in the middle, with Lexi still gently bouncing on the sofa on one side of him, and Callum curled into the other. He’s got his head resting on Ben’s shoulder, eyes closed and sleep-heavy breaths huffed out every so often. Ben’s not entirely sure if he’s sleeping or just resting but he doesn’t bother him either way, knows that Callum really needs this and that if this is the only way he can get the other man to finally take care of himself, then so be it. 

It’s not an answer, not by any means. There’s still something bothering him, but maybe for an evening Ben could see a little more of the old Callum,  _ his Callum _ , shining though, and he’ll count that as a win, every day. Baby steps. 

**Author's Note:**

> woooo the image of ballum and lexi baking together is making me emotional also callum would totally make him a cake fight me   
> anyways!! hope you enjoy this lovely people, comments and kudos mean the world to me and i hope you all enjoyed, stay safe!! also come find me on tumblr @artsy-highway  
> leo x


End file.
